Latest in Extended Reality News: Google, Meta, and Snap Make Big Announcements
Companies are diving deeper into Extended Reality (XR) technologies as the desire for increased emersion and convenience takes off. With Metaverse technology development in full swing around the world, here is the latest in extended reality news.
Back in 2019, Google launched Live View, an AR layer on top of Google Maps. In their latest announcement at Google I/O, they take this technology to the next level, announcing Google Maps’ Immersive View, which combines aerial and street view to allow AR overlays onto the real world.
In another equally exciting announcement, a new smart eyewear prototype was also unveiled by Google. It has the appearance of an ordinary pair of glasses and performs real-time translation and other useful functions.
The prototype has not yet been tested, and no release date has been set. The prototype is more HUD than AR, according to one writer, but this is to be expected as AR technology slowly evolves to bring more to consumers.
It seems that Google is only getting started, however, having recently purchased MicroLED startup Raxium to Bolster AR Capability just last week.
Meta
Last week, Meta announced plans to release four more VR and AR headsets over the next two years. CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave us a closer look at Meta’s high-end Project Cambria this week. The new VR headset will be able to produce full mixed reality by merging your physical surroundings with your virtual experiences thanks to the outward-facing high-resolution color pass-through camera.
Meta also revealed that its Venues app would be integrated into Horizon Worlds. Zuckerburg and Meta CTO Andrew Bozworth reportedly flew to Milan to show Luxottica, the luxury eyewear business that partners with Meta on the elegant Ray-Ban Stories, their smart glasses interface.
Snap
The creator of Snapchat has partnered with Live Nations to bring users AR lenses for use in live concerts. Watch the video to get an idea of what the company intends to do with this technology.
Snapchat’s mobile AR experiences will be brought to Live Nation concerts as part of the company’s multi-year collaboration. Snap will provide geospatial applications that will allow users to locate friends at the venue or bring the concert to life with augmented reality content that can be easily shared on social media.
This is perhaps the most immediately exciting thing happening amid the latest in extended reality news, but no doubt there will be more to come. The Augmented, Virtual, Extended, and Mixed Reality markets have much more to offer both in entertainment and practical use, and tech giants are most likely going to try to get their hands on every last drop.